Abbas (Abdis)

The village of ‘Abbas ('Abdis) was situated on a flat expanse of land in the southern coastal plain, bounded on the east by Wadi ‘Abbas. Two secondary roads connected the village to the main road linking al-Majdal with the Jaffa–Jerusalem highway, as well as to two nearby villages.

In 1569, ‘Abbas was listed as a village in the Nahiya of Gaza (District of Gaza), with a population of 193. The villagers paid taxes on a variety of crops, including wheat, barley, sesame, and fruit, as well as taxes on other sources of production and income, such as goats, beehives, and vineyards.

By the late 19th century, ‘Abbas had developed into a moderate-sized village situated on a broad plot of land. Its homes were clustered closely together. In the final years of the British Mandate, new homes were constructed along the two aforementioned roads. The population was entirely Muslim.

Domestic water was drawn from deep wells, approximately 55 meters deep. However, due to the limited number of wells, most agricultural activity relied on rainfed irrigation. ‘Abbas was known in the region for the high quality of its grains, particularly wheat and barley. Later, villagers also cultivated fruit, such as grapes, apricots, and oranges.

According to the 1944–1945 agricultural statistics:

• 1,307 dunums were allocated to grain cultivation
• 149 dunums were irrigated or used for orchards

The presence of ancient wells, cisterns, building foundations, and archaeological remains suggests that ‘Abbas had a long-established historical presence. The nearby site of Khirbat Abu Juway‘id (121120) is likely Byzantine. At the same time, to the southwest lies Khirbat ‘Ajas (118118), which the Arab geographer Yaqut al-Hamawi (d. 1229) identified as one of the villages of Asqalan (Ashkelon).

 Occupation, Ethnic Cleansing, and Displacement

According to the Palestine Daily Newspaper, on the night of 17 February 1948, Zionist forces arrived in ‘Abbas in three large vehicles and clashed with local fighters. The engagement lasted an hour and thirty minutes, after which the attackers withdrew to Negba colony. The report noted that no casualties were recorded among the village defenders.

On 8 July 1948, as the first truce of the war was coming to an end, the Giv‘ati Brigade advanced on the southern front in an effort to connect with Israeli forces in the Negev. This objective failed; the brigade expanded its control southward, capturing villages in the Gaza district.

That night, the 3rd Battalion of the Giv‘ati Brigade attacked ‘Abbas, engaging in a lengthy battle with two Egyptian army companies stationed in the village. According to the official history of the War of Independence, Israeli forces completed the cleansing of the site by early morning. Villages such as Bayt ‘Affa and ‘Iraq Suwaydan also fell around the same time, as noted in an Israeli military communique quoted by the New York Times.

It is unclear whether the inhabitants of ‘Abbas were expelled at that time, though Haganah reports indicate that Israeli forces seized some Egyptian military equipment during the operation.

On 10 July, Egyptian forces attempted to retake the village but failed, suffering heavy losses after encountering Israeli units entrenched in the area. The War of Independence history describes this victory as a turning point for the Giv‘ati Brigade, stating that from that moment forward, the brigade would not retreat from any position until the end of the war.

According to the Egyptian writer Mohamed Abdel Moneim, the village was briefly recaptured by Egyptian forces during the 10 July operation but had to be abandoned due to intense fire from elevated Israeli positions surrounding the village. A second attempt to reclaim the village, on 12 July, also failed.

A separate Egyptian source reported that the village was attacked at the beginning of the first truce, on 11 June, in violation of the UN ceasefire agreement. In the memoirs of the late Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser, who at the time was an officer stationed in the sector, he wrote:

“On the first day of the truce, the enemy moved toward the Arab village of ‘Abbas, which lay within our lines.”
He does not specify whether the attack resulted in the village’s occupation, but it is believed that ‘Abbas remained under Egyptian control until the attack of 8–9 July.

  The Village Today

The village site is no longer distinguishable, aside from a few sycamore trees. All houses have been destroyed. Portions of the surrounding land are now cultivated.

Zionist Colonies on Village Lands

The settlement of Merkaz Shapira, established in 1948, is located on the border between the lands of ‘Abbas and those of al-Sawafir al-Gharbiyya. It cultivates lands near the site, though it is not situated on village land proper.

 Source: Wleed Al-Khaldi, All that Remains.